New Large-Scale Community Mural Planned on Corner of Kilbourn and N. Vel R. Phillips at Tenor Journal Square High School

MILWAUKEE (February 3) – Seeds of Health is developing a large-scale, 40-foot x 70-foot mural on the Tenor Journal Square High School building at the corner of Kilbourn Avenue and N. Vel R. Phillips Avenue in downtown Milwaukee, in partnership with acclaimed community artist, Tia Richardson of Cosmic Butterfly Design. This project is made possible through funding awarded by Bader Philanthropies and the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s Mary L. Nohl Fund.

Guided by the artists’ signature community-centered process, this mural will be co-created by Tenor High School students, parents, staff, alumni, and partners. The theme will capture their collective journey through challenges they navigate, choices they make, and imagining of a brighter future. The mural will ultimately serve as a highly visible, lasting symbol to the City of the ability of Tenor students – as part of the broader Milwaukee community of young people – to build successful futures defined by opportunity.

Seeds of Health CEO Jodi Weber said, “We have the remarkable opportunity to work with an outstanding artist on a project that not only celebrates the Tenor community, but also honors the resilience, brilliance, and promise of Milwaukee’s young people. We are deeply grateful to Bader Philanthropies and the Greater Milwaukee Foundation for their generous investment in this meaningful project.”

Community design workshops have concluded, and community painting days are scheduled in April. Richardson said, “My work is about bringing people together and creating a sense of community. The mural is the vehicle of expression that helps people work together towards making something better.”

Mural installation will take place in summer, as weather permits.

Established by Seeds of Health in 2005 in Cathedral Square in downtown Milwaukee, Tenor High School developed a first-of-its kind “3+1” model in partnership with Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC), through which students take four years of high school credits in three years, then spend their fourth year of high school at MATC – at no cost to families – while receiving continued support from Tenor faculty and staff. When they graduate high school, students can leave with their certification in a trade, continue their studies at MATC, or transfer credits earned at MATC to a four-year university. The Tenor model offers students a significant jumpstart on their academic and career aspirations.

Because of the success of the model, Seeds of Health opened a second Tenor campus – Tenor Journal Square High School – in the former Milwaukee Journal Sentinel buildings in 2021. Tenor Journal Square is now undergoing a planned expansion, with building renovations to ultimately accommodate an enrollment of 500 students. When expansion is complete, Tenor Journal Square and Tenor Cathedral Square High Schools will together educate 775 students.

ABOUT SEEDS OF HEALTH
Seeds of Health is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Milwaukee, Wis. with a mission to meet the unique needs of urban children through small schools in a caring, personal environment. Established in 1983, Seeds of Health operates a network of intentionally small schools, currently educating approximately 1,500 students annually. Seeds of Health was the first K-12 charter school agency in the State of Wisconsin. The network’s public 2r charter schools, authorized by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, include Seeds of Health K-8 Elementary School (1445 S. 32nd St.), Veritas High School (3025 W. Oklahoma Ave.), and Tenor High School (Journal Square Campus – 918-922 N. Vel R. Phillips Ave. and Cathedral Square Campus – 840 N. Jackson St.). Grandview High School (2745 S. 13th St.) is Seeds of Health’s partnership school, authorized under the Children-at-Risk Law through Milwaukee Public Schools. Seeds of Health also operates a Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Clinic serving low-income women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutrition risk. Visit www.seedsofhealth.org for more information.

ABOUT TIA RICHARDSON AND COSMIC BUTTERFLY DESIGN
Award-winning community artist Tia Richardson established Cosmic Butterfly Design in 2003. Since 2007, Tia’s work has evolved into collaborative art efforts that offer community members from all walks of life a chance to freely express their feelings about their community. Cosmic Butterfly Design has completed more than 60 collaborative art efforts with nonprofits, K-12 and post-secondary schools, businesses, and local government. In 2017 and 2020, Tia produced two short films about her biggest healing community mural projects called ‘Sherman Park Rising’ and ‘Rockford Taking Flight.’ In 2022, her children’s book ‘Caring All Around Me’ and an accompanying workbook on health relating was published by Orange Hat Publishing.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.